Ligue 1 Striker Opens Door to Summer Newcastle Move

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has confirmed that he will leave Saint-Etienne at the end of the season after being heavily linked with a move to Newcastle during the January transfer window.

There were numerous reports during January that Newcastle were closely monitoring the Gabon international as manager Alan Pardew went on a French recruitment drive that saw five players arrive from Ligue 1.

It was believed that Newcastle scouts watched the striker in a 2-2 draw with Toulouse which featured Moussa Sissoko, one of the five players that would eventually go on to make the move to St. James Park.

Now Aubameyang has revealed that he is ready to leave St. Etienne but claimed that he knows nothing of the reports that suggested Chelsea were also interested in his services.

"I want to see something else, find something else. A new challenge"' said Aubameyang, as reported in the Metro. "Chelsea? I was not aware of that. You're teaching me something new."

Newcastle have won two out of their last three Premier League games and their French contingent has already made a significant impact.

However, managing director Derek Llambias did suggest that they would once again look to the French league when recruiting in the summer.

"There are still targets in France. We haven't finished with the French market," Llambias revealed earlier this month.

Aubameyang scored 16 league goals last season and is on course for a similar amount this campaign after firing nine goals in his 21 Ligue 1 appearances.

The 23-year-old began his career at AC Milan but made just two appearances for the Italian club before impressing while on-loan in France, first for Dijon and then for Lille and later Monaco.

However, it was St. Etienne that eventually signed the striker and he has gone on to score 29 goals in just over two-and-a-half years at the club.